1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to entertainment device monitoring and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for controlling audio/video display using a policy.
2. Description of the Related Art
Multimedia content is accessible within homes and other housings through a variety of modes and/or entertainment devices. For example, the multimedia content may be generated and/or viewed through various websites (e.g., online games and/or the like) and/or entertainment devices, such as video game consoles, convertors (e.g., cable box convertors), media players (e.g. CD/DVD players and/or the like) and/or audio/video display devices (e.g., a television, a monitor and/or the like). Generally, the video game consoles, the convertors and/or the media players process and transmit audio/video signals to the audio/video display devices. Nonetheless, such modes and/or entertainment devices are easily accessible to young people (e.g., children, adolescents) among other individuals. In various instances, children and adolescents are presented with the multimedia content that depicts or expresses concepts and images that may be deemed inappropriate and/or undesirable by parents and/or guardians.
While many children and/or adolescents intentionally access inappropriate and/or undesirable multimedia content; sometimes, such multimedia content may be accidentally presented. For example, a video gaming console may be used to play a game that portrays extreme violence or adult material and hence, may not be suitable for children and/or adolescents. As such, parents or other regulators either have little or no control over the content that is accessible through various entertainment modes and/or devices in daily environments, such as a home or a community gathering.
Currently, parents utilize various available applications to enforce control policies for only one type of entertainment device. For example, certain televisions and convertors allow control over specific channels and/or multimedia content associated with a particular parental rating. Several content filtering mechanisms also exist for blocking inappropriate and/or undesirable multimedia content accessible through the Internet at a computer. However, conventional techniques fail to monitor or filter multimedia content associated with multiple entertainment devices that are accessible to children and/or adolescents in the home. Furthermore, the entertainment devices, such as DVD players and/or video gaming consoles, do not implement or enforce a policy for controlling audio/video display. As a result, the children and/or the adolescents may be exposed to inappropriate and/or undesirable multimedia content.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus for controlling audio/video display using a policy.